The present invention relates broadly to safe window operation and more specifically to a window safety and security device and method for using same that notifies persons proximate a window protected by the window safety device that an unauthorized attempt to open or cause unauthorized manipulation to the window is in progress.
Double-hung windows, sliding windows, and doors are known to be left open a small amount to effect ventilation, particularly in warmer weather and climates. A partially open window allows a child an opportunity to open the window further (sufficient for egress) in order to pass. If on ground level, if the child is lucky enough to exit the premises through the window with only an injury, they may wander off and become lost, exposed to automobile traffic, dangerous animals (including humans) and/or other dangers of the world. If at higher levels, injuries as a result of falling may be quite severe and at times fatal. Every year in the United States, nearly 5,000 children, mostly toddlers, fall out of windows and are injured; 28% require a hospital stay and approximately 20 die. A child who falls 10 feet can suffer spinal injuries, paralysis and/or fatal head injuries.
Window guards have been shown to reduce fatal falls by up to 35% as seen in a pilot study in New York City and the nonprofit product testing organization, ASTM International, has established voluntary standards to ensure window guards don't interfere with emergency escape in a fire.
Window guards screw into the side of a window frame and have bars no more than 4 inches apart. They are sold in different sizes for various size windows and adjust for width. Guards must meet requirements for spacing and strength. In a home with young children it is critical that window guards that are installed have a release mechanism so that they can be opened for escape in a fire emergency. Guards that allow for escape in case of emergencies must be difficult for very young children to open.
Parents may also consider using other window safety devices such as window wedges or braces or removing the hand cranks on casement windows. The bottom line is to ensure that windows do not open more than 4 inches. Toddlers have been known to fall out of windows or get trapped in window openings in as little as 5 inches. Parents should be aware that windows provide a means of escape from a burning home, so whatever protection means are used, they need to be able to be easily opened or removed in a fire or other emergency situation. Still, no safety device can take the place of active adult supervision, or notice in case a child attempts to open a window.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,552,768 discloses a portable sliding window lock comprising a molded resilient triangular block with a simple, low-strength, non-locking suction cup securely fastened to its base. A jamming tapered tip on the triangular block is angled slightly upward toward the mounting surface. The sliding window lock is mounted on the vertical surface of a flat window pane adjacent the frame to intercept and jam the window frame with the sliding window partially open. Theoretically, this should prevent forcing the partially open window any further open to gain access (or egress, for that matter). An audible alarm also is included that is mounted on the resilient triangular block and set off by a switch activated by force applied to the window, i.e., a contact switch, motion sensing switch or pressure switch embedded in the molded resilient triangular block.
A problem is that many modern double-hung windows, sliding windows, and doors comprise mechanisms that allow the glass portion to swing out of the slide track for cleaning. In this case, the sliding window or door could then be moved without compelling contact of the sliding window lock with the window frame, essentially rendering useless the portable sliding window lock as a safety device.
Also known is US Patent Appln. Publication No. 2006/0288527, which discloses a door stop formed of a suction cup attached to a body for use on glass sliding doors and windows in a closed or partially open position. The body is configured to tip and press the low-strength, non-locking suction cup down on the glass to prevent sliding, holding the stop assembly in place and an alarm is sounded if the stop is dislodged from the door. In more detail, to apply the stop assembly, it is simply squeezed against the surface of the fixed glass panel near the center of the sliding door or window. If an attempt is made to open the door or window, the movable panel hits the stop assembly and prevents it from opening. An alarm built into the body detects in a case where lateral force dislodges the stop from the door or window.
Like U.S. Pat. No. 5,552,768, discussed above, the stop assembly disclosed in US Patent Appln. Publication No. 2006/0288527 does not prevent the glass portion of a modern window or door to swing out of the slide track for cleaning. In this case, the sliding window or sliding door could then be moved or opened without contacting and being stopped by the stop assembly, essentially rendering useless the stop assembly as a safety device.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,778,086 discloses an open window security lock comprising a compression staff (i.e., compression column) with a simple, low-strength, non-locking suction cup for attaching the staff to a window that allows a double-hung window or sliding window sash to open a small amount for ventilation but not in an amount sufficient to admit an intruder. The compression staff upper end has a switch to sound an alarm if the upper arm is moved away from touching the fixed upper frame, e.g., a motion detector, a displacement detector or a vibration detector. As shown in FIG. 3, part 11 is one member of the compression column staff and it provides an adjustable overall length for the staff by being adjustably joined to adjustable part 12. Parts 14 and 15 are staff ends where part 16 is an electric signalling means for signalling a disturbance on the system by an intruder. That is, once the portable sliding window lock is securely fastened to surface window sash, it further prevents opening of the double-hung window or sliding glass window, by end piece 14. Audio alarm 23 is activated by switch 16 at end 15, contacting the window frame. If the window as shown is closed, the electric button piece extends closing switch 16 and activating alarm 23.
While the open window security lock comprising compression staff operates to block further opening of a window in which it is placed and adjusted to accommodate the desired opening, its use is cumbersome. For that matter, it is likely that piece 18 may be adjusted so that end 14 can be extended far enough off the planar surface of the glass as to allow the lower sash to move underneath and past the end 14 while the staff, attached to the upper glass, remains in place, including switch 16. Moreover, the multiple working parts render the device somewhat complicated and of course increase the cost for manufacture.